Canada inaugurates J’ai mon appart’ in Shawinigan

Shawinigan, Quebec, August 24, 2022

Today, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion; the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and MP for Saint-Maurice – Champlain; along with Lionel Carmant, Minister of Health and Social Services, Marie-Louise Tardif, MNA for Laviolette – Saint-Maurice; and Michel Angers, Mayor of the City of Shawinigan; officially opened the J’ai mon appart’ supervised apartments in Shawinigan.

The project received $850,000 in funding from the Government of Canada through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF).

Located at 1520 10^e Avenue in the Grand-Mère sector, the two-storey building contains 12 affordable housing units for people living with an intellectual disability (ID) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Supervision services are provided 24/7 to tenants to enable them to live in their own apartments and benefit from services that meet their needs for independence and self-determination through, among other things, the assistance of a resource person living directly on site.

Quotes:

“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Our government’s investments in affordable housing here in Quebec are helping to improve the quality of life of those who need it most. This is National Housing Strategy at work”
— Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“We believe in giving everyone a chance to succeed. That is why we are extremely pleased to support this wonderful project. This innovative and collaborative initiative provides tenants with more inclusive and affordable housing in the community they call home. This is a testament to the resilience that exists here in Shawinigan, Mauricie — and is another example of the National Housing Strategy at work.”
— The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and MP for Saint-Maurice – Champlain

“ I would like to pay tribute to the members of the board of directors of J'ai mon Appart' for their hard work. It has been an honour and a pleasure for me to work on their behalf, on behalf of individuals and their families, and to help them move this great project through the bureaucratic maze of government more quickly.”
— Marie-Louise Tardif, MNA for Laviolette – Saint-Maurice

“Inclusion, accessibility and fairness are part of our values in Shawinigan and I am very proud that the city is a partner in this great project. I often say that “alone, we go fast, but together we go further”, and the collaboration in the J’ai mon appart’ project is a wonderful example.”
— Michel Angers, Mayor of Shawinigan

“The completion of the J’ai mon appart’ project in Shawinigan shows that, when an entire community focuses on openness and solidarity, it can contribute to improving living conditions for people with disabilities. The funding provided by the federal government is a good example of this: it has allowed us to construct a building that meets high standards for accessibility and energy efficiency. This is a giant step forward!”
— Michèle Lafontaine, Chair, Board of Directors, J’ai mon appart’

Quick facts:

J’ai mon appart’ received a total of $898,000 in funding, $48,000 of which came from the Seed Funding program and $850,000 from the NHCF.
This project meets NHCF accessibility requirements, with 6 accessible units for people with reduced mobility.
The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a National Housing Strategy (NHS) program that prioritizes affordable housing projects for those who need it most: women and children fleeing family violence; seniors, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, persons with mental health or addiction issues, veterans and young adults.
With a budget of $13.2 billion at its disposal, the NHCF aims to:
- create up to 60,000 housing units;
- repair up to 240,000 units;
- create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of domestic violence;
- create at least 7,000 new units of seniors' housing; and
- create at least 2,400 units for people with developmental disabilities.
The 2022 Federal Budget proposes to provide $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to step up the creation of up to 4,300 units and the repair of up to 17,800 units.
The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more people in Canada a place to call home.

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that, by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home that they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.